Twenty20 is aimed at families, children and those wanting a quick cricket fix. Sports Editor Nick Loughlin took his son to Emirates Durham to find out more

IF DURHAM'S total yesterday was based on how many questions about the game I had to answer, their margin of victory would have been a lot greater than their three-run triumph.

Taking a six-year-old to watch a Test Match could be a drag, a one-day game may be a bit too much, but a Twenty20 game is just about right.

A first innings of a little over 75 minutes, quick turnaround, and off to watch the run chase.

But six is, if nothing else, a very inquisitive age.

So both innings - well in between the times he missed the start of the Leicestershire innings while he was having his face painted as Spiderman - were mirrored with questions: twenty questions; T20 questions.

Now Thomas is an expert on all things Star Wars, and knows a bit about football. But cricket?

Last summer, then aged five, we watched Durham take on Lancashire in the T20.

He lasted 16 overs of the first innings before he was bored. By the time the game was over he was having a bedtime story.

Twelve months later, he was keen enough to go again, and this time he saw it all, right down to the end, which was just as well as Durham triumphed on the last ball.

By then he had waved his four/six placards manically throughout. Had a drink. Asked some questions. Waved them some more. Had a hot dog. Asked some more questions. Waved his inflatable bangers and smashed them together. Had an ice cream. Asked questions again. And used his inflatable bangers as light sabres - he was Darth Vader, I was Yoda apparently, which was quite apt as I spent the entire game being the font of all knowledge.

As he looked on from the media room and the Sky Sports TV studio before the game, Thomas couldn't work out why the players were in the outfield playing football. Weren't we there to watch cricket?

Question one was answered simply.

As we took our seats in the stand, it took him a while to get his eye in and catch the speed of the game. The white ball certainly helped.

Then, as each delivery posed a problem for the batsmen (unless you are Ian Blackwell, who nonchalantly clipped 25 off 11 balls), came a poser for myself.

Why are the sticks behind the batters red? Why are there some men in green coats out there? Why do you get six runs if it doesn't bounce over the boundary? Why do you get four if it does bounce? Why do you get six balls in an over?

The sort of stuff you don't really think about when you've watched plenty of games over the years, but to an inquisitive mind wondering what the sport is all about then it means a lot.

The crowd was made up of plenty of under-10s so, in trying to generate a new breed of cricket fan, t20 can only be a good thing.

As we headed back down the A19, Ronnie Irani was on Talk Sport praising the short-form of the game to the hilt, confident it will, in turn and in the future, help develop future Test players by attracting them to the game at such an early age.

The crash, bang, wallop game has got Thomas interested. If you get a chance take your kids and let them experience it.

It's a cracking day out. Just be armed with plenty of answers.

* Durham have Twenty20 three games remaining at Emirates Durham IGC, against Worcestershire (Sun, July 3), Yorkshire (Fri, July 8) and Northampton (Thur, July 14).

Prices are £13 and £5 juniors for advance sales and £17.50 adults, £6 juniors on the day.

Bookings can be made at durhamccc.co.uk or by telephone on 0844 4994466.